I'd Rather Be Fishing

 We've all seen the phrase, "I'd Rather Be Fishing," either on a t-shirt, a bumpersticker or something. This couldn't be a truer statement for me. I love to fish! 

I was having lunch with a minister friend. He asked me what I would do if I could do anything else. I told him I would own a fishing charter where I could fish all the time, taking people out in hopes to get into spiritual conversations with them. I would not initiate the conversations, I would just take them fishing and through basic conversations if the opportunity arose I would just answer questions they may have about my own personal faith. 

I took the vision from that conversation and began to write a story about a pastor who got out of ministry after 30 years, moved to the coast and began to fish. Hanging out with different guys on a pier led to helping on a party boat. Through conversations and building relationships life change began to happen with the guys this once pastor, Simon, was hanging out with. 

As I was writing the story I realized this is not only true in a literal sense, putting bait on the end of a line and throwing it into a lake, river or ocean. This is true in a spiritual sense as well. I went into ministry because I wanted to follow Jesus and connect people far from Him, to Him. Jesus told a segment of His disciples who were fishermen, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."

This is why I went into ministry, but this is not what ministry has become for the most part. The tension is between attracting a crowd and making disciples. The attractional model of church growth is about making the right transactions so that the church will grow numerically, the giving is up and people are serving. The goal is moving people through a process to become good members of the church. 

Making disciples is relational. Hanging out with people whether they are friends, relatives, co-workers or etc. Living like Jesus in your everyday life in such a way that people begin to ask questions about the values you live by because they are curious. 

The church should be about making disciples. Through the story that unfolds in the book, Simon spends time with the pastor of the church he goes to trying to share with him the focus of making disciples. The tension is real and I learned somethings about myself through writing this book. 

I learned, the church can be a good experience for those curious within the context of relationship. The church can help start spiritual conversations for those who are both unchurched and churched if there is a way to process the challenge of being more like Jesus. This challenge needs to happen within the context of relationship. 

The need for discipling relationships should be encouraged and given space and the time to grow naturally. I mean this was the way of Jesus, Right?   

Learning through Writing

 It's been a while since I posted something. But it doesn't mean I have not been writing. I took a Facebook online class with Bob Goff after reading his book "Dream Big." One of the things he talked about was writing 1000 bad words a day. While I did not accomplish 1000 bad words a day, I did do the exercise a few times a week. 

Then I decided to write a book. I went through a few online classes from other author's through Master Class. 

Through 2022, I wrote a book which is finished. I am now looking at publishing options trying to learn what that process looks like. I have to say, the process of writing a book is challenging and rewarding. I have learned some things through the process. Actually, putting thoughts down on paper helps thinking through some things and I actually learned some things from myself, if that makes sense. 

I have decided to put some of what I learned myself while writing the book, using some excerpts from the book. I would love to hear your feedback. Who, knows, maybe I will learn some other things through this process.